WITCH HUNT FOR COMMUNISTS

Chronicle (Levin), 19 June 1946, Page 5

WITCH HUNT FOR COMMUNISTS

Press Assn.-

MAY YET BE HEADACHE FOR 3LABOUR LEADERS

By Telegraph

■Copyright

( Sjmciiil Correspondent). Reeeived Tuesdav, 9.15 p.m. SYDNEY, June 18. AVitli tlie overwlielming adoption of Ihe eiglit. poiut anti-Kommunist manifcsto i >y tlie Xew Soutli Wales braneh of Ihe Rahotu* Party, a witeh hunt for ('omnnmistH is in full cry. It is the c.iibiiinal.iou of a series of assaults by widely scattered unions, on the policy of e.\t remisls in control of large seetions of Australian industry. For mauy months now the Communi^ls have believed themselves strong enough lo disjiense with all camoufiage and to jtroceed with the campaign. of disrtij)! ion and indnstrial terrorism in oi*der to gain their ends. Sunday's decisi'on by the powerl'ul "New >South Wales branch of Ihe Labour Party, is one of tlie severest blows ever dealt here lo Comnuinists. Tlie blow is more lelliiig because of its tiniing on the eve of an eleciion and because New South Wales has been Ihe centre of the greatesl slril'e in past months. It follows overtures extended to Labour by the 'onimuiiist Party which visualised a'n eleciion alliance against the Liberal and Country Parties. Tlie Comimmist Party was dcelared an illegal organisation in June, 1940, by Ihe Menzies Government for much the same tyrie of aetivities which have been noticeable in reeent months. While tlie ban was elTective it was a eonstant source of annoyance to tlie anthoritios during the early war vears. Finallv, with the apjiearance of Russia as an allv and of nurnerous "aidN to Russia" organisations, it was eonsidered expedient to ra-ise the ban.' This was riecessary because of the need for unlty tl.roughout Australia aud of the change of opinion following- Russlam s%ecesaes;; The stej) was finally taken 011 Decembef 18, 1942, by tlie Labour Government under AF r. Curtin, but not before certain promises wero ^ extwted the Communists. They were permitted to produce newspapers and carrv on part.y aetivities in the open again provided thev adhered to the following assurnnces: To do all in their power to assist in the offeetual proseeution of the war; to do all in their power to inerease Ihe production of war materials and provision of services for the war or indnstrial ymrposc-s; to do their ntmost to promote hannony in industry, to minimise absenteesm, stoppages, strikes and other hold-ups. Apparentily fhe great niajority of the Labour Party believes that at least one of tliese assurances has not been carried out. 80 far there is no suggestion that the Communist Party should again be declared illegal. That would entail loss of face 011 tlie part of the Labour Government and would also tcnd to drive the movement undergrouhd rather than deal it a knockout bloiv. Nevertheless, the Federal Government will have to reviow its policy in relation to Communists. The two parties have been in elosest harmonv on more than one occasion, notably during the last referendum when tlie Labour Party, Communists and TJnions jointlv eleeted representatives to a campaign eommittee •which took charge of the affirmative s'de. The parties have also eombinedin assuring the election of candidates. Obviouslv any such association is now ended. This could weaken the Labour position in the. ooming election, particularlv in view of the decisio"n regarding the outlawing of certain Communist organisations. Powerfu]' unions which are Communist confrolled and which make contributions to'the Labour Party funds include tlie Tronworkers' IJnion. with 14,000' -members in New South Wales, the Waterside Workers' Federat.ion of 7000 and the Miners ' Federation of 17,000. However praiseworthy the action of the Now 8outh Wales branch of the Labour Party miglit he, it might still prove to be a lieadache to the Party leaders whose troubles mount as the election approaeh'es.